he previous evening, she prophesied: "To-day our fair King
shall win a victory greater than has been his for a long time. My
Council has told me that they are all ours."

She foretold that there would be few, or none of the French
slain.[1279]

[Footnote 1279: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 99 (the Duke of Alencon's
evidence).]

Captain Poton and Sire Arnault de Gugem went forth to reconnoitre. The
most skilled men-of-war, and among them my Lord the Bastard and the
Marshal de Boussac, mounted on the finest of war-steeds, formed the
vanguard. Then under the leadership of Captain La Hire, who knew the
country, came the horse of the Duke of Alencon, the Count of Vendome,
the Constable of France, with archers and cross-bowmen. Last of all
came the rear-guard, commanded by the lords of Graville, Laval, Rais,
and Saint-Gilles.[1280]

[Footnote 1280: _Ibid._, p. 71 (evidence of Louis de Coutes). Letter
from Jacques de Bourbon in _La revue bleue_, February 13, 1892, pp.
201-204. Monstrelet, vol. iv, p. 327. Wavrin du Forestel, _Anciennes
chroniques_, p. 289.]

The Maid, ever zealous, desired to be in the vanguard; but she was
kept back. She did not lead the men-at-arms, rather the men-at-arms
led her. They regarded her, not as captain of war but as a bringer of
good luck. Greatly saddened, she must needs take her place in the
rear, in the company, doubtless, of the Sire de Rais, where she had
originally been placed.[1281] The whole army pressed forward for fear
the enemy should escape them.

[Footnote 1281: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 71. _Journal du siege_, p. 140.
_Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 307. _Deux documents sur Jeanne d'Arc_
in _La revue bleue_, February 13, 1892.]

After they had ridden twelve or thirteen miles in overpowering heat,
and passed Saint-Sigismond on the left and got beyond Saint-Peravy,
Captain Poton's sixty to eighty scouts reached a spot where the
ground, which had been level hitherto, descends, and where the road
leads down into a hollow called La Retreve. They could not actually
see the hollow, but beyond it the ground rose gently; and, dimly
visible, scarcely two and a half miles away was the belfry of
Lignerolles on the wooded plain known as Climat-du-Camp. A league
straight in front of them was the little town of Patay.[1282]

[Footnote 1282: _Trial_, vol. iii, pp. 11, 71, 98. _Chronique de la
Pucelle_, pp. 306 _et seq._ _Journal du siege_, pp. 103 _et seq._ Jean
Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, p. 85. L